In the mist-veiled cliffs of Cornwall, where Thomas Hardy first set his literary imagination loose, autumn arrives with a particular melancholy—golden but fragile, sweet but tinged with the knowledge of winter’s approach. This Sweet Potato and Pear Soup captures that same bittersweet essence that runs through A Pair of Blue Eyes, Hardy’s tender exploration of youth, love, and the inevitable passage of time.
Like Elfride Swancourt herself—bright and warm-hearted yet caught between competing affections—this soup balances the earthy sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes with the delicate, almost ethereal quality of ripe pears. The sweet potato provides grounding, like the ancient Cornish landscape that shapes all of Hardy’s characters, while the pear adds a fleeting brightness, as ephemeral as young love on a clifftop.
There’s something in the soup’s golden-amber hue that echoes the novel’s autumnal mood: the way sunlight filters through changing leaves, the way memory softens harsh edges, the way Elfride’s blue eyes reflect both innocence and the growing complexity of her heart. Each spoonful carries the warmth of a fireside conversation, the kind where truths are revealed slowly, where sweetness and melancholy intertwine like the novel’s twin suitors vying for the same fragile heart.
The pear’s subtle perfume dissolves into the sweet potato’s earthbound richness, creating something that is both comforting and wistful—much like Hardy’s ability to find beauty in life’s inevitable disappointments. It’s a soup for twilight reading, for moments when the day surrenders to evening and we’re reminded that even the sweetest things carry within them the seeds of their own passing.
Description
A velvety, golden-hued soup that perfectly balances the earthy sweetness of sweet potato with the delicate, floral notes of ripe pear. It’s a comforting dish for a crisp autumn evening.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics: Place a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the finely chopped onion and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes soft, translucent, and fragrant.
- Add the main ingredients: Add the cubed sweet potatoes, cubed pear, and dried thyme to the pot. Stir to combine with the softened onion, allowing them to cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Simmer: Pour in the liter of vegetable stock. Increase the heat to bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and let it cook for about 25-30 minutes, or until the sweet potato cubes are fork-tender and the pear is very soft.
- Blend until smooth: Carefully transfer the soup in batches to a blender. Be sure to leave the vent open and cover it with a kitchen towel to allow steam to escape while blending. Alternatively, use an immersion blender directly in the pot, blending until the soup is completely smooth and creamy.
- Season and serve: Return the blended soup to the pot over low heat. Taste the soup and season with salt and black pepper as needed. If the soup is too thick, you can add a little more stock to reach your desired consistency. Serve hot, garnished with a sprinkle of fresh mint or parsley, if desired.
Notes
- This is an excellent choice for an autumn entrée, serve it with some rye toast on the side, and for the non-vegan option, add some grated gruyère cheese on top.
Note from The Literary Kitchen
I imagine this soup served on a chilly, twilight evening, a reminder of the bittersweet essence that runs through the pages of A Pair of Blue Eyes. Like Elfride Swancourt herself, it balances earthy sweetness with a delicate, ethereal quality.
If you make your own version, I’d love to see it! Share your creation on Instagram with the hashtag #RitualOfReadingFood and tag @ritual_of_reading. Let’s gather our interpretations like characters in a Hardy novel, each with their own delicious story to tell.
Written by Alexandra Poppy
Writer, reader & curator of The Ritual of Reading
I’m Alexandra, the voice behind The Ritual of Reading. Somewhere between a stack of novels and a half-finished pot of tea, I keep finding traces of the life I want to live—slower, richer, filled with stories. The Ritual of Reading is where I gather what I love: books that linger, places with a past, and rituals that make ordinary days feel a little more meaningful. I write from Paris, where elegant bookshops and old-fashioned cafés offer endless inspiration—and I share it here, hoping it brings a spark to your own days, too.
